Jonah

Author: Jonah
Date of Writing: 8th century BC
Type of Book: Prophetic
Theme: God's mercy and grace

The book of Jonah has probably been assailed by more critics than any other book of the Bible. The story of a man being swallowed by a great fish is just too hard for some people to swallow. But this is no problem for me whatsoever. If you can believe in a God who created this entire universe, a God who created man, and a God who can keep this world suspended in space, then believing in the possibility of a special fish engulfing a man should be no problem. Jesus Christ Himself believed in the story of Jonah and cited it as historical fact (Matt. 12:39-41; Luke 11:29-32). If Jesus believed the story of Jonah, then I believe the story of Jonah. Case closed.

The author of the book of Jonah is not identified, but it was most likely Jonah himself. Jonah was a prophet who ministered in the northern kingdom in the eighth century BC. Unlike the other prophetic books, this is not a book of prophecy but a narrative account of an event that happened to a prophet.

At the time of Jonah's writing, the Assyrians had already conducted a military campaign against the northern tribes of Israel. Thus the Jewish people hated the Assyrians (who were known for their cruelty) and feared them as well. In a matter of years, the Assyrians would come back and finish the job of conquering and capturing Israel, but there was a lull in the action at this time, as the Assyrians were preoccupied with other endeavors. As God called Jonah to go and preach to the Assyrians in their capital city of Ninevah, the last thing Jonah wanted to do was to prophesy to these evil Assyrians. He certainly didn't want to be successful and see them spared God's wrath.

As the story unfolds, we learn much about God's sovereignty, as Jonah learned that if God is taking you to Ninevah, then that's where you are going. Take a boat or take a fish, the easy way or the hard way, God will accomplish His purposes. We also see God's love for the Gentiles. God didn't want the Gentiles to be destroyed; He wanted them to be saved. God's heart was moved with compassion, even toward the most evil of Gentiles who lived in Ninevah. We also see God's grace toward Jonah!

-from Pastor Chuck Smith: The Word for Today Bible